Steam-engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. A, BECK. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 483,127. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. A. BECK.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Sept. `27, 1892.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS A. BECK, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,127', datedSeptember 27, 1892. Application filed May 7, 1891. Serial No. 391,92026.(No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS A. BECK, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which Jform a part of thisspecification.

The main objects of my invention are to economize steam by reducing thelength of steam-passages to a minimum, to avoid condensation bydispensing with large steamchests, to guide and to hold the valveinproper position, to avoid undue wear of the valvefaces, .to reduce thelabor and cost of construction by providing a design for an engine whichmay be produced and finished in all essential parts by boringoperations, and to avoid leakage past the ends of the valves.

It consists of certain peculiarities of construction and arrangementhereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several Iignres.

Figure l represents a plan view or side elevation and partial axialsection of a twin-cylinder engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isan axial section taken. through one of the cylinders in a plane at rightangles to that of the section shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is across-section on the line sc, Fig. l.

A represents the cylinders, B the pistons, ZJ the piston-rods, ZJ thecross-heads, C the i crank-shaft, and c the connecting-rods, which perse may be of the usual or any suitable form and construction.

D are the main-valve cases, which are made of cylindrical form inside,and E are the main valves made to tit within said valve-cases.

Fis the case of the reversing-valve, and G the reversing-valve.

Inasmuch as the cylinders and main-valve cases on both sides of theengine are duplicates of each other, it will be found sufficient todescribe in detail one of each only. Each outside of the steam-portsopening into the same. By means of these extendedvbearingsurfaces thevalve-faces proper between the passages e, c', and e2, opening at theperiphery of the valve are accurately held and guided in their properposition, and wearthereof and of the interior surface of the valve-caseadjacent to the ports is avoided and leakage thus prevented. Theextended bearing-surfaces at the ends of the valve E may be provided, asshown,with any suitable kind of packing to insure close steam-tightjoints between them and the valve case. The reversingvalve case F isformed at or near the middle with a chamber or cavity f, with which thesteam-pipe II is connected, and at the ends with chambers f and f2,which are connected with each other by a passage f3, extending alongone side of the case.

I is the exhaust-pipe connected with the the valve-case F and openingout of the chamber f2. rThe reversing-valve G, which consists of twoconnected cylindrical heads, is fitted to and' works within acylindrical bore in the partitions separating the chambers f, f', and f2Between these chambers passages vd d are formed between said bore andthe main-valve cases, opening into the latter on the opposite side fromthe passages a a and alternating therewith. In its central position, asshown in Fig. 1, the valve G closes the openings of both passages d dinto the valvecase F and cuts oit communication between the main valvesand the steam and exhaust connections. When shifted sufficiently ineither direction, communication is established between the chamber f andone of the passages cZ and d', leading into the main-valve chamber, andbetween one of the chambers f and f2 and the other passage. The mainvalves E are connected by rods c4 with eccentrics on the crank-shaft,and the reversingvalve G is provided with a stem g, which passes througha stuiiing-box f4 in one end of the valve-case F and is connected withsuitable mechanism (not shown) for shifting the same. The main-valvecases D are formed on the inside adjacent to the guiding-faces e3, atthe ends of the valves E, with annular grooves cl3, which open into theadjacent chambers f and f2 in communication with the exhaust-pipe I. Bythis means any water formed by condensation in the main-valve chambersand finding its Way into said grooves is disposed of without passinginto the cylinders of the engine or past the ends of the valves.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the application ofmy improved valve to engines of the type shown, inasmuch as they may beemployed to advantage in place of the ordinary slide-valves innonreversing single-cylinder engines or engines of other kinds byforming an exhaust-portin the cylinder between the steam-ports, asindicated by dotted lines at the left hand of Fig. l. The location ofthe ports in the main valve-cylinder may also be changed within thescope of my invention, the steam passages and ports in the valve beingchanged accordingly.

In the construction of the engine herein shown and described, which isparticularly designed for steam feed and hoisting purposes, thecylinders, valve-cases, guides, and bearing-supports for the crank-shaftare all cast together. In this way the adjustment of the several partsis preserved and a simple, strong, and durable construction is securedand the setting up and adjustment of the engine is facilitated, inaddition to the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

My improved engine, as shown in the drawings, operates as follows: Vhenthe valve G is raised or carried toward the crank-shaft, communicationis established between the steam-chamber f and the passages d andbetween the passages d and the exhaust-chambcr'fQ. Steam is thusadmitted through the connected passages e e of the main valves andalternately through the passages a a into opposite ends of the cylindersA, the passages a a', communicating alternately with the connectedpassages e e', serving under the conditions mentioned as steam passagesand with the passages c2 serving under the same conditions asexhaust-passages. When the valve Gis brought to its middle position,steam is cut olf from the cylinders and the movement of the engine isarrested. By depressing the reversing-valve or moving it away from thecrank-shaft the movement of the engine is reversed, communication beingthus established between the steam-cham ber f and the passages d throughthe mainvalve passages e2, now serving as steam-passages, thencealternately through the passages a d to opposite ends of the cylinders,the connected passages e e', now serving as exhaustpassages,communicating through the passages d d with the exhaust-chamberf, whencethe exhaust-steam iinds its way through the passage f 5 to the chamberf2 at the opposite end of the valve-case F, with which the exhaust-pipeI is connected.

It will be observed that by the construction and arrangement of the mainvalves hereinbefore described steam is not admitted into the ends of thevalve-cases D. Hence the ordinary covers, bolted joints, and gaskets maybe dispensed with. It will also be observed that the ends of thereversing-valve case Fk are exposed only to the pressure ofexhaust-steam, and consequently less care in fitting and packing thecovers, stuffing-box, and exhaust connections is required. The length ofsteam-passages and size of the steamchambers in the valves andvalve-cases, into which live steam is admitted, are reduced to aminimum, thereby effecting a great saving of steam in reversing theengine and also avoiding Waste by condensation. The valves andvalve-cases being cylindrical in form are produced and finished byboring operations, thereby effecting a saving of labor and cost in theirconstruction, the main valves being provided with extendedbearing-surfaces outside of the ports and passages in the valve-cases,and the valves themselves are accurately held and guided in their properpositions, and wear on the valve-faces proper is thereby reduced.

' I claim- 1. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the cylinder andpiston, of a reversing-valve and its case having steam and exhaustconnections, a cylindrical main-valve case having ports in one sideconnected by steam-passages with opposite ends of the cylinder and twoports in another side connected with the reversing-valve chamber, and acylindrical valve fitting within said case and having steam-passagesarranged to register with the ports therein and closed ends outside ofsaid ports and passages,wh ereby economy of steam is effected in theoperation of the engine, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the cylinder and piston, ofa reversing-valve and its case having steam and exhaust connections, acylindrical main-valve case having two ports connected by steam-passageswith opposite ends of said cylinder and two ports communicating with thereversing-valve chamber, and a cylindrical valve having steam ports andpassages arranged to register with the ports in said case and extendedbearingsurfaces at the ends outside of the ports therein, wherebyeconomy of steam is effected and wear of the valve-faces between saidbearingsurfaces is avoided, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the cylinder and piston, ofa cylindrical valvecase connected with opposite ends of said cylinder bysteam-passages and having suitable steam and exhaust connections, and acylin- IOO drical valve fitted within said case, having,r suitablepassages arranged to register with the ports therein and extendedbearing-surfaces outside of said ports, said valve-case being formedwith annular grooves,with wasteopenings near the ends adjacent to theextended bearing-surfaces of the valve, whereby leakage past the ends ofthe valve is prevented, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a reversing engine, the combination, with a cylinder and piston,of a reversingvalve and its case having exhaust-chambers at the ends andan intermediate steam-chamber and passages connecting it with themainvalve chamber, a main-valve case connected by steam-passages withopposite ends of said cylinder and having at or near its ends openingsinto the exhaust-chambers of said reversing-Valve case, and acylindrical main valve having closed ends fitting within the mainvalvecase and formed with intermediate ports arranged to register with theports in said main-valve case, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In a reversing engine, the combination, with a cyinder and piston, ofcylindrical main and revcrsin g valve cases, the main-valve case beingconnected with opposite ends of the cylinder and with the reversing-valve case by sui table passages, and the reversing-valve case havingconnected exhaust-chambers at the ends and an intermediatesteam-chamber, a reversing-valve consisting of two cylindrical headsfitted to a cylindrical bore in the partitions separating said steam andexhaust chambers and controlling the passages leading through saidpartitions into the main-valve case, and a cylindrical main valve formedwith steam-passages arranged to register with the ports in its case andhaving closed ends and extended bearing-faces outside of said ports, themain-valve case being formed near the ends adjacent to the extendedbearing-surfaces of the valve with annular grooves which open into theexhaust-chambers at the ends of the reversing-valve case, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

G. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the cylinder and piston, ofa cylindrical, valvecase connected with opposite ends of said cylinderby steam-passages and having steam and exhaust connections, acylindrical valve formed with passages registering with the ports insaid valve-case and provided with closed ends and extendedbearing-surfaces outside of said ports, said bearing-surfaces beingprovided near the outer ends with suitable packing, and the valve-casebeing formed adjacent to said surfaces with annular grooves havingwaste-openings, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the cylinder and piston, ofa reversing-valve and its case having steam and exhaust connections, acylindrical main-valve case having two ports connected by passages withopposite ends of said cylinder and two opposite alternating ports incommunication with the reversing-valve chamber, and a cylindrical mainvalve having closed ends and between them connected ports, and aseparate intermediate port arranged to register with the ports in themain-valve case, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a steam-engine, the combination, with two cylinders and pistons,of a reversing-valve and its case having steam and exhaust connections,two cylindrical main-valve cases,4

each having two ports connected by passages with opposite ends of theadjacent cylinder and intermediate ports connected with ports in themain-valve chambers opposite to and alternating with the port-s therein,communi-A cating with the cylinders, a reversing-valve controllingcommunication between the steam and exhaust connections and the passagesleading from the reversing-valve chamber into the main-valve chambers,and cylindrical main valves having closed ends with extendedbearing-surfaces and intermediate ports arranged to register with theports in the main-valve cases, said main-valve cases having at or neartheir ends openings into the exhaust-chambers in the ends of thereversing-valve case, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I aiiix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

MATTHIAS A. BECK. Witnesses:

CnAs. L. Goss, F. C. BUDD.

IOO

